World Cup Desk – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is breaking records across the board. For the first time in its 96-year history, 48 teams are participating in a tournament co-hosted by three nations—the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Ticket prices have also skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, with top-tier final tickets at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium priced at $32,970.
Adding to the historic nature of this tournament, the 2026 edition marks the first time two billionaire footballers—Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi—are competing simultaneously.
Global business magazine Forbes has released the definitive list of the highest-paid footballers at this World Cup, calculated based on their earnings over the past 12 months.
Here is the breakdown of the top 10 highest-earning players in the tournament:
10. Harry Kane (England) | Earnings: $41 Million
The Bayern Munich striker is England’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 79 goals in 113 international matches. The 32-year-old clinical forward enters the tournament in sensational form, racking up 32 goals for club and country in 2026—14 more than any other player globally.
9. Lamine Yamal (Spain) | Earnings: $43 Million
Despite missing the final stretch of the La Liga season with Barcelona due to a hamstring injury, the young prodigy has returned to training. Reports suggest Barcelona has set strict playing-time limits for him during the group stages. Off the pitch, his commercial appeal remains massive, backed by major endorsement deals with American Eagle, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Powerade, and Visa.
8. Jude Bellingham (England) | Earnings: $44 Million
One of Real Madrid’s elite trio featured on this list, the 23-year-old midfielder has transitioned into a global superstar since his high-profile €100 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund. He remains a core pillar of England’s midfield engine.
7. Sadio Mané (Senegal) | Earnings: $54 Million
Mané has enjoyed a highly lucrative year, winning the Saudi Pro League alongside Ronaldo at Al Nassr. After missing the 2022 World Cup due to a knee injury, the Senegalese winger is highly motivated to perform well on the global stage as his current club contract approaches its end this month.
6. Mohamed Salah (Egypt) | Earnings: $55 Million
After an illustrious nine-season tenure at Liverpool that yielded 257 goals and two Premier League titles, the Egyptian winger parted ways with the club in March, a year before his contract was due to expire. Turning 34 today (June 15), Salah enters the tournament as a free agent, entirely focused on securing Egypt’s first-ever World Cup match victory.
5. Vinícius Júnior (Brazil) | Earnings: $60 Million
Following a mixed season with Real Madrid, the Brazilian winger has been remarkably candid about his country’s chances, downplaying Brazil’s status as absolute favorites and pointing to squads like Argentina, Portugal, Spain, and France as top contenders for the title.
4. Erling Haaland (Norway) | Earnings: $80 Million
Despite signing a record-breaking contract extension with Manchester City last year, the 25-year-old Norwegian powerhouse continues to be the subject of aggressive transfer pursuits from Real Madrid. Haaland leads the frontline for Norway, marking the nation’s first World Cup appearance since 1998.
3. Kylian Mbappé (France) | Earnings: $95 Million
The 27-year-old superstar, who finished the 2025–26 season as the UEFA Champions League’s top scorer with Real Madrid, is already a World Cup legend after winning the trophy in 2018 and reaching the final in 2022. Beyond the pitch, Mbappé has expanded his business empire by becoming an ambassador and investor in the health insurance company Alan.
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) | Earnings: $140 Million
The legendary Argentine captain has officially joined the ranks of the world’s billionaires, with a net worth estimated at $1.1 billion. Competing in a record-tying sixth World Cup at 39 years old, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner needs just 4 more goals in this tournament to break Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | Earnings: $300 Million
Ronaldo sits comfortably at the top, not just as football’s highest earner, but as one of the highest-paid athletes across all sports for the fourth consecutive year. The Al Nassr forward is the only active team-sports athlete whose career earnings have eclipsed $2 billion, bringing his current net worth to $1.2 billion. With five Ballon d’Or awards and five Champions League titles, he remains the most commercially dominant figure in football history.